What would the highs and lows in the life of a community be if they weren’t accompanied by lively speeches? Whether for weddings or funerals, graduations or retirements, company anniversaries, topping-out ceremonies or harvest thanksgiving – it is said that people come together through speeches.
Currently, however, the public word seems to be increasingly shifting to “social media”, split into echo chambers and private channels that cynically pay homage to “free speech”.
The “Rederei Scharnstein” – an artistic agency for speeches – is therefore being opened for the European Capital of Culture Salzkammergut 2024. Anyone in the municipality can commission speeches from the Rederei free of charge. We have already received and successfully delivered a large number of orders: Welcomes, openings, toast speeches, protest and joy speeches, birthday speeches, Christmas speeches, regulars’ table speeches, blessings, as well as celebratory words for tree planting, barbecues and company parties.
The speeches take us to both public and private places: from the community hall, to the orchard, to the living room, everything is included. The focus of our work is always on appreciative dialogue and doing things together with the local community.
Current speeches on Instagram: @rederei_scharnstein
In co-operation with the Kulturverein Schönau8
with Heinz Steinböck, Charlotte Bastam, Max Höfler
Art Your Village
This project deals with local identities, primarily within the smaller locations within the Salzkammergut region. International artists or artist groups engage with these locations and develop projects in the form of interventions over the course of the year.
More about the project at salzkammergut-2024.at